The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-06-25
PLAET LICE.

PLANT LICE.
The first plant lice that appear In
spring are Matched from eggs laid the
previous autumn, and are exclusively
females. From these the species Is
propagated throughout the season by
what il known rs asexual generation.
the young being born alive through
many successive generations, and with
out any pairing of the sexes. The
males and perfect fcmalcs-i. c., those
capable OF depositing fertile eggs, only
nlpoar late in the season. IL is said
that the male form OF the cabbage aphis
has not yet been discovered. Until
quito recently the eggs Of the hop aphis
had not been found, but II is now
thought that they are deposited on the
terminal twigs of plum trees, and sew
cral other species are believed TO deposit
their eggs on plants entirely distinct
from the ones upon which they feed.
The peculiar, viscid swedish sub
stance that sometimes appears on the
leaves ofpear and some other trees in
summer, and which is known as ''honey
dew" is largely. If not entirely Sc
erection of the aphis. Ants are fond of
this secretion, and hence are always
found on plants infested with plant lice.
Indeed, thelatter are treated by the ants
much ~ If they had been reduced 10 a
state of domestication. IL Is known
that the ants frequently transport the
lice from place to place. that they know
how 10 cause them to yield their sweet
secretion at will. and they are also
thought TO protect them from their in
sect enemies. They are called "ants'
COWS.
Last year tho damage by aphis TO
fruit growers aud mrserymcn in West
ern New York alone must certainly
have amounted TO hundreds OF thousand
il not 10 millions of dollars. But this
Is by no means the only locality that
suffered, nor Is the past the only season
in which cultivated plants have been
injured by them. II is estimated that
the injury to the hop crop of England
in 1882, from the aphis, amounted to
SS.000.00 The dreaded phylloxcra of
Europe, that has threatened to annihi-
late grape growing in many localities,
belongs TO tho family of plant lice, and
there are many other injurious species.
Perhaps no insect with which we
have TO contend is so difficult TO bat
tie successfully in the open air. With
nursery trees and herbaceous plants.
kerosene enulsions or solutions of
whale-oil soap prove partially salts
factory. But the insects are SO small
and so numerous, that it Is practically
impossible TO reach them all. and owing
10 their extremely rapid multiplication,
the few that escape soon envelope tho
the plants anew. In the case of large
trees, their destruction becomes much
more difficult. On the whole, the
mastery of the aphis IN the open air
must be regarded as one of tho unsol-
we'd problems in horticulture.
TIE SHIPPING CRATE.
Those who grow produce for market
do not need TO be told of the Importance
of neat and proper packing to secure
ready sales and best prices. The farm
en- sometimes has crop. such as an
unexpected crop OF early apples, that
he would gladly turn into money, but
he j. not provided with baskets for
for packing his fruit. and If sent in bar
rcls the fruit would arrive in bad order
and bring low prices. To such the
bushcl crate comes rs a ready resource.
A bushcl crate Is easily made. and forms
neat and handy package for nearly all
kinds OF produce. To make u bushel
crate there are required three pieces,
zach eight by fonrteen inches. for the